‘I’d sell a kidney to buy it — although its vacuum-clamping might harvest it for me’: this elite turntable is both unnerving and impressive in equal measure | Tech Radar

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'The serious audiophile Record Store Day deck': this elite new turntable unnerves me almost as much as it piques my interest

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Tech Das has just unveiled its Air Force IV elite turntable

The tech involved? It vacuum-clamps your vinyl to make it float on air

…and it has nothing to do with Nike trainers or the US President's airplane

Some brands just know how to time a turntable release for maximum exposure alongside Record Store Day, don't they?

The Tech Das Air Force IV (it's nothing to do with the US President's transport, or Nike trainers) is an exacting deck for the seriously committed audiophile — I'd even go so far as to say it takes the act of spinning plates to surgical levels of precision.

Why? Because alongside the ability to install up to three turntables and cartridges to it at any given time (the audiophile knows that tracking weights, the arc of the arm and the thickness of that tiny diamond-tipped stylus all make a difference) this turntable harnesses the power of air to elevate sound quality.

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The Air Force IV, uses a silent electric pump to float its high-mass, one-piece platter on a high-pressure "air bearing". That's right: with the Air Force IV, your vinyl is actually vacuum-clamped perfectly flat. Thought playing a record was as simple as placing it on the platter and gently lowering the needle? Think again…

The Japanese turntable specialist tells me that the new Air Force IV slots in directly above the "entry-level" Air Force V Premium in the current Tech Das turntable hierarchy.

Okay, but at £19,998 (it has officially landed in the UK now, having been unveiled at last year's High End Munich show), which is roughly

But just for clarity on Tech Das' turntable catalog, in ascending order, next would come the Air Force III Premium, Air Force III Premium S, Air Force One, Air Force One Premium and mighty Air Force Zero, the latter costing just shy of $500,000 or £400,000, depending on which tonearm you opt for.

The Air Force IV (the price of which suddenly seems relatively reasonable) incorporates key features from the company’s top-tier turntables, chief of which is Tech Das' calling card air-bearing system. As well as vacuum-clamping your vinyl to ensure it stays exactingly level while spinning, this isolates the 9kg rotating platter to boast an "extraordinarily low noise floor."

Elsewhere, the Air Force IV's 21.5kg one-piece aluminum alloy chassis sits on four suspension feet with the same "specialised damping materials" used in the company's far pricier Air Force III Premium S.

➡️ Read our full guide to the best turntables

1. Best overall: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo
2. Best cheap beginner deck: House of Marley Revolution
3. Best budget Bluetooth deck: Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
4. Best premium Bluetooth deck: Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2

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Becky became Audio Editor at Tech Radar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, Four Four Two and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.

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